Imagine this: You’re driving down highway 90 or I-10 and you soon realize that you can’t see more than a few feet in front of your vehicle. The sun glare is so bad that you think twice about pulling to the side of the road.
While there’s no better feeling than the warm sun, too much glare can be a nightmare when you’re behind the wheel of your vehicle.
Sun glare is responsible for many accidents every year, including those involving both vehicles and pedestrians.
So, if you find yourself driving and the glare of the sun begins to impact your vision, here are some tips to follow:
- Put on your sunglasses to reduce glare
- Use your sun visor
- Slow down and leave more following space
- Turn on your headlights as this can help other drivers see your vehicle
- Keep your windshield as clean as possible, as some types of debris can enhance the glare
- Don’t leave anything on your dashboard that could reflect the sun
If all of the above tips fail, there is one last thing you can do: Pull to the side of the road and think things through. Maybe you need to search through your glove box to find a pair of polarized sunglasses (or purchase a pair!). Or maybe you need to stay where you are for the meantime, knowing that the sun will soon move to a different angle.
As you follow these tips in an attempt to cut down on glare and improve your safety, don’t be surprised if other drivers don’t change anything. Truckers, for example, may continue at the same speed, knowing that they have a deadline to meet.
Unfortunately, when other drivers neglect to adjust for weather conditions, it increases the likelihood of an accident.
If another vehicle strikes yours, move to safety and wait for police to arrive. If you are dealing with any type of injury you’ll want to call 911 so that an ambulance arrives at the scene.
Once you receive treatment and understand what went wrong, learn more about your insurance policy and legal rights for holding the negligent party responsible for their actions.
